Biophilic Cities, Integrating Nature into Urban Design and Planning

Originally aired May 11, 2017

Island Press and SSF explore the biophilic city — a vision of urban living that places nature, conservation, and the celebration of natural life forms at its center. Human beings have an innate need to connect with the natural world, and research shows nature’s ability to reduce stress, aid recovery from illness, enhance cognitive skills, and moderate the effects of ADHD and other conditions. This session examines how cities can integrate nature into planning and design to deliver these profound benefits alongside the economic value of ecological services.

Speakers

David Maddox (Moderator)

Founder & Editor in Chief, The Nature of Cities

David Maddox is the founder and Editor in Chief of The Nature of Cities, an international platform to share diverse, transformative ideas about cities as ecosystems of people, nature, and infrastructure. His work focuses on the development and dissemination of useful knowledge for design and management of social-ecological systems in urban landscapes.

Tim Beatley

Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities, School of Architecture, University of Virginia; Author, Handbook of Biophilic City Planning & Design

Tim Beatley is Chair of the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning and the Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities at the University of Virginia School of Architecture, and the author of the Handbook of Biophilic City Planning & Design. His work examines the principles of biophilia in practice, using cities like Washington, D.C. as examples of how urban environments can embrace and celebrate nature.

Sabine O’Hara

Dean & Director of Landgrant Programs, College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, University of the District of Columbia

Sabine O’Hara is Dean and Director of Landgrant Programs for the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), where she works to integrate urban agriculture, environmental sustainability, and community resilience into teaching and practice in the nation’s capital.

Tommy Wells

Director, Washington D.C. Department of Energy & Environment

Tommy Wells is Director of the Washington D.C. Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE), responsible for protecting the environment and conserving the natural resources of the District of Columbia — including the integration of biophilic principles into the city’s environmental and sustainability planning.